"Yeah," Pepper quietly replied, and pressed gentle kisses to his temple, his cheek, the corner of his mouth. "It makes perfect sense." Given that it was more fair to both of them that way, too, she certainly couldn't argue with it.

"I don't want you to think that you can't talk to me, though," she continued, rubbing the pad of one thumb over the rough curve of his cheek. "You don't have to, but you can. If we're really going to do this, let's do it right."